S2 E24: When They Don’t Want Help: Navigating the Heartbreak of Watching People Suffer
Release Date: 06/17/2025
The Clinical Entrepreneur
A former competitive athlete came to me barely able to function. He had severe nausea, almost constant stomach pain, a known ulcer, crushing anxiety, and unrelenting fatigue. After looking at his intake forms, it seemed obvious that his digestive system was screaming for help so I did what any practitioner would do - I started by supporting optimal upper digestion. And everything made him worse. Bitters? Made him worse. Gallbladder support? Worse. Aloe? Also worse. The PPI worked, then didn't. The DGL helped a little, then stopped. I kept adjusting the protocol, thinking I just...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
What causes relentless belching that can clear a room - even after four rounds of H. pylori treatment? A 55-year-old retired dental hygienist had been treated for H. pylori four times. Two rounds of medical intervention and two different functional medicine practitioners tried to help - without success. The infection kept coming back, along with the belching so severe she could clear a room. The problem? Everyone missed the most important thing: the biofilm. In this episode, Ronda walks you through the exact three-phase protocol that finally worked: Prep & Prime (biofilm disruption +...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
Twenty years of restless legs. Two failed attempts. One patient who kept coming back anyway. In this episode, I finally figured out what was missing - and it had nothing to do with magnesium, valerian, or sleep hygiene before bed. This case humbled me. I'd treated her twice before with all the "right" things - minerals, adaptogens, calming herbs, etc., and nothing worked. When she came back a third time, desperate and hardly sleeping, I knew I had to dig deeper. What I found changed how I think about restless leg syndrome entirely. RLS isn't a muscle problem. It's not a simple mineral...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
She was convinced it was her thyroid. After years of panic attacks, chronic anxiety, and a body that felt like it was "fighting something," she came to Ronda certain the answer was in her thyroid labs. It wasn't. In this Clinical Thinking case study, Ronda traces the real root cause back to compromised digestion and a nervous system running on stress hormones. This 28-year-old executive assistant had all the classic signs practitioners often miss: fasting glucose of 71 (a red flag for metabolic instability), light-colored stools, fatty food intolerance, and that telltale mid-back pain at the...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
She looked perfect on paper. Impeccable diet. Physically fit. Emotionally stable. Then she walked into my office and said, "I can't stop crying. I can't think. Something is wrong, and I don't know what it is." Her labs told part of the story: CRP at 87, neutrophils through the roof, lymphocytes bottomed out. But there was no fever. No illness. No obvious source. Until she dropped one sentence that changed everything. This is the first episode of my new Clinical Thinking series where I walk you through real patient cases, step by step, so you can see how I actually think through complex...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
I'm going to be honest with you: 2025 humbled me. It wasn't my year. I didn't hit the goals I set. I didn't finish the projects I planned. I spent more time putting out fires than building anything meaningful. I went from a team of five down to two plus a virtual assistant and I ended up picking up way more work than a business owner should be doing. I was so scattered, so mentally fatigued, that some days I couldn't focus on anything for more than 10 minutes. There's a joke in my world: 'How many rabbit holes can Ronda go down in one day?' And this year, the answer was... too many. So this...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
Those “quick questions” your patients sneak into chats, emails, and hallway drive-bys are quietly draining your time, profit, and clinical excellence. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on boundary creep; what it looks like, why it happens, and the exact phrases you can use to redirect those questions into paid appointments so you can protect your schedule, your sanity, and your bottom line. So if you’ve ever given out your cell number, answered a Practice Better chat at night, or tried to handle a full clinical case in your DMs, friend… this one is for you. I’m walking...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
Big pharma has officially crossed the line: 30-something women are being told they’re in ‘perimenopause,’ and the recommendation (of course) is to start HRT. The truth is that they are tired, stressed, skipping meals, and feeling overwhelmed. In this ultra-sassy episode, Ronda breaks down the manufactured narrative driving this trend, the physiology that proves it wrong, and a real case from her clinic that highlights how widespread the misinformation has become. Younger women don’t need hormone therapy - they need blood sugar support, a well-regulated nervous system, and a meal...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
In this episode of The Clinical Entrepreneur, I walk you through a real case study of a high-stress, high-anxiety patient who turned things around - no labs, no overwhelm, and no complicated protocol. Instead, I focused on what I call “the low-hanging fruit”: stress, sleep, digestion, and diet. You’ll hear the exact questions I asked, the protocols I recommended, and the surprising symptom he revealed weeks later. Want help building clinical confidence like this? 🎯 What you’ll learn: My 4 “low-hanging fruit” focus areas Why Calm Restore and digestive...
info_outlineThe Clinical Entrepreneur
As the year wraps up, it’s time to do more than just “plan for the next.” This episode is a clear walk-through to help you celebrate the wins, identify the lessons, and set your business up for a powerful new year. Inside this episode: ✅ How to reflect on what worked (and what didn’t) ✅ Where most practitioners get stuck when planning the next year ✅ The 4-step framework I use to refocus with intention ✅ Two free downloads to help you map out what’s next 🔗 : The Year-End Reflection Workbook and Next-Year Vision Planner 🎧 Get accountability and support for...
info_outlineAs wellness practitioners, we care deeply - sometimes too deeply. So what do you do when the people you love won’t take your advice? In this vulnerable episode, I’m sharing what happened when my own parents rejected the help I offered, and how I’m learning to keep my heart soft without carrying the weight of other people’s choices.
We’ll explore:
-
Why patients (or loved ones) reject help - even when they ask for it
-
What it means to “plant the seed” without attachment
-
3 mindset shifts to protect your heart and keep your peace
-
A powerful reminder: you’re not a failure - you’re just not their person right now
This is the episode every practitioner needs when their heart is hurting.